Packing for oil-well pumping apparatus.



Patented June 5, |900. W. E. KARNS. PACKING FOR 0|L WELL PUMPINGAPPARATUSe (Application led Oct. 14, 1897.)

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WILLIAM E. KARNS, OF PARKERS LANDING, PENNSYLVANIA.

PACKING FOR OIL-WELL PUMPING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 650,975, dated .T une5, 1900.

` Application filed October 14, 1897. Serial No. 655,142. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. KARNs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Parkers Landing, in the county of Armstrong and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Packing for Oil-WellPumping Apparatus, of which the following is a speciflcation.

This invention relates to oil-well pumping apparatus, and has specialreference to the construction of the packing for the pumpplunger.

To this end the invention has for its main and primary object theprovision of `a novel form of packing or packing-ring so constructed asto permitan arrangement of parts Wherebythe wear due to the operation'ofthe plunger is evenly distributed throughout the surface of the bore ofthe barrel or cylinder.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the packing orpacking-ring as to permit the upper end of the pump-plunger to pass outof and beyond the pump-barrel at each stroke and then return to itsworking position within the barrel without causing injury to orunnecessary Wear of the packing or the barrel. Y

The invention also contemplates a novel form of packing or packing-ringwhich prevents sand, grit, or other foreign matter in the vpump-barrelfrom 'interfering with the operation of the plunger.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and efiicientvmeans for lubricating the packing.

Further objects and vadvantages of this invention will appear in thefollowing description, and the novel features thereof Will beparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of a pump-plunger constructedin accordance with my invention applied in the operative position to apump-barrel, the latter being shown in section. Fig. 2 is a detailsectional view of a portion of t-he plunger. Fig. 3 is a detail view inperspective of one of the cupshaped packing-rings detached. Fig. 4 is asimilar view of one of the spacing-sleeves. Fig. 5 is a detailtransverse section of the plunger in the plane of one of the series oflubricating-vents.

.respectively above and below the same.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding partsin all thefigures of the drawings.

The pump-barrel 1, in which the plunger 'embodying my invention isarranged to operate, is provided at its lower end with the `let-openingsto allow the escape ot' the contents of the tube or hollow core of theplun ger into the tubing above the barrel or cyl" inder. The attachmentof the pump-rod 7 to the plunger is accomplished by means of a threadedextension or lug S of said cage. Said inlet-valve at the lower end otthe tube or core of the plunger is arranged in a casing 9, which is alsodetachable from the tube or core et.

Mounted upon the tube or core, between the shoulders formed by theprojecting inner extremities of the said cage and valve-casing, is aseries of packing-rings l0, held at the desired intervals by means ofinterposed spacing-sleeves 10a, also fitted upon said tube or core, theinterval between the packing-rings beingless than the length of thestroke of the plunger, whereby the path of each packingring overlaps thepaths of the packing-rings The uppermost packing-ring when the plungeris at the limit of its downward stroke is at a less distance from theupper end of the pump barrel or cylinder than the length of the strokeof the plunger. In other words, the operative length of the pump barrelor cylinder or the length thereof from the lowermost point to which thelowermost packingring extends on the downstroke to the upper end ofthebarrel is less than the length of the plunger between its remote orterminal packing-rings plus the length of stroke of thev plunger,whereby at each upward stroke of the plunger the uppermost packing-ringleaves the pump barrel or cylinder. The effect of IOO this constructionand arrangement of parts is that from said lowest point of contact ofthe lowermost packing-ring to the upper end of the pump-barrel the partsare exposed to thc uniform wearing contact of the packingrings, andhence the enlargement of the bore of the barrel due to the operation ofthe plunger is uniform throughout this operative length of the barrel.Therefore when the enlargement. of the bore of the barrel reaches such apoint'l as to render the packing-rings inoperative by reason of becomingtoo loose in the barrel the plunger may be removed upwardly from thebarrel, fitted with a set of packing-rings of larger diameter-namely,agreeing in diameter with the enlarged bore of the barrel-and returnedto the barrel without necessitating the forcing of said rings throughthe upper ends thereof, as in the ordinary practice. stroke of apump-plunger (which is exposed in operation to sand and other grit, andhence frequently causes the rapid wearing of the bore of the barrel) isless than the operative length of the barrel, so as not to carry theuppermost packing-ring beyond the upper end of the barrel or when theconstruction is such that the interval between contiguous packing-ringsis greater than the length of thc stroke, so as not to cause the pathsof contiguous packing-rings to overlap,the wearing of thc barrel occursonly at those points traversed respectively by the packing-rings, andafter a removed plunger has been fitted with packing-rings of largerdiameter the plunger must be forced into the barrel, fre? quently to thepositive injury of the packingrings, in order to cause the packing-ringsto pass those portions of the bore of the barrel which have not beenworn. The construction above described obviates this difficulty andenables me to re move and replace a plunger with larger packing-ringsadapted to insure the efficient operation of the mechanism withoutaffecting the packing-rings or otherwise risking injury to themechanism. Furthermore, I have found it desirable, particularly in viewof the fact that the uppermost packing-ring must leave the upper end ofthe barrel at each upward stroke, to employ packing-rings constructedwholly of metal, such as brass or the equivalent thereof, and in orderto provide an efficient all-metal packingring without constructing'it ofthe splitring type I have adopted a cup shape, the concavity thereofbeing upward. When a packingring of this shape is constructed of lightmaterial or of such section as to be capable of bending or yielding whentransverse pressure is applied thereto, I have found that the upper edgeor periphery will conform in a horizontal plane with the crosssectionalconstruction of the bore of the barrel, yielding to pass any projectionsthereof, and particularly to allow the passage of any obstructions onthe walls, such as those caused by sand or grit. In the construction Forinstance, when thel illustrated, therefore, the packing-rings consist ofmetallic cups stamped or otherwise struck from sheet metal of a fiexibleor yielding quality and thickness to form a cylindrical body portion11,an intu rned exteriorly and interiorly beveled portion 12,and aninner flange 13, said beveled portion serving to facilitato theintroduction of the packing-ring into the barrel on the downstroke andalso enabling the packing-rings to pass obstructions on the downstroke.The spacing-sleeves, which, as above mentioned, are of less length thanthe stroke of the plunger, are provided at their upper ends withcup-shaped seats 14 to receive the convexed lower surfaces of thepacking -rings and are provided at their lower ends with roundedportions 15 to fit into the concavities of the packing-rings, and thussecure the inturned flanges of the latter in the seats of the next lowerspacingsleeves. Said lower ends are also reduced in thickness, as byforming grooves lOb around their outer faces, the better to permit theaction of the rims of the packing-rings.

A further feature of the construction of spacing-sleeve set forth hereinresides in the fact that they are cut away between their extremities orcaged to form longitudinallyelongated openings or slots 16, designed inthe first place to lighten the construction of the plunger, and alsodesigned to expose small perforations or lubricating-vents 17, formed inthe wall of the tube or core l and communicating with the interior orbore thereof. Through these perforations or vents a sufficient quantityof liquid is allowed to escape to fill the annular spaces between thespacing-sleeves and the interior surface or bore of the barrel, and thuslubricate the packing-rings. A plurality of perforations or vents arearranged in the plane of each spacing-sleeve, whereby at least one ot'said vents may be exposed at all times; but it will be understood thatthe'diameter of the perforation or vent employed in this connection isinsufficient to allow an appreciable escape of liquid from the interiorof the tube or core.

A short or auxiliary spacing-sleeve 18 is arranged above the uppermostpacking-ring, and between said sleeve and the lower end of the cagewhich forms a securing-nut, may be interposed a ring-washer 19 to enablethe tightening of said cage or securing-nut to firmly fasten thepacking-rings and spacingsleeves from longitudinal vibration upon thetithe or core.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without depart-in g from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A cupped metallicpacking-ring for oilwell-pum p plungers, the same having a continuoustransversely-yielding periphery for ICO IIO

Contact with a pump-barrel, substantially as specified. y

2. A cupped metallic packing-ring for oilwell-pu mp plungers, the samehaving a oontinnous transversely-yielding flange or rim extendingapproximately in the direction of movement of the plunger for continuousperipheral con tact with the surface of the pumpbnrrel, and adapted -toHex inwardly to oonform to the interior shpe and obstructions xo in saidbarrel, substantially as specified.

In testimony that I 'claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in 'the presence of two witnesses.

IVILLIAM E. KARNS.

Witnesses: v

JOHN H. SIGGERS, FRANCES PEYTON SMITH.

